: Re: How to avoid switching between formal and informal in an essay? I recently wrote an essay for a history class and the teaching assistant commented that he found my switch between formal and

@LarsenBagley300

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As others have said, pick one and stick to it. I think the Bermuda shorts analogy posted by Chris Sunami is pretty on point. My undergraduate degree is a double major in Philosophy and Communication Studies: Philosophy-style essays are more commonly written in the first person, whereas the Communication Studies expects the more traditional third person perspective. I have a few thoughts that are informed by bits of wisdom I have gathered from various professors and TAs over the years.

I believe that writing in the first person is a great way to be direct, concise and assertive about your opinions. This is why Philosophy professors will allow and even encourage writing in the first person, as you are often given very short word limits. You can be eloquent and academic while writing in the first person, so don't let stuffy old essay rules dissuade you from using it (unless your Professor is adamant that you do not). Many, many peer-reviewed journal articles successfully use the first person.

I am currently reading an article entitled "Amnesia, Nostalgia and the Politics of Place Memory" by Margaret Farrar, who frequently uses "I" statements. Something she does which is interesting, and totally contradicts both me and your teaching assistant, is refer to the article she is writing, i.e. "This article is motivated by the question..." I think the reason she is successful and you were not so successful is because the way she phrases it, it is not the article doing the work or the thinking, but the author. I hope that makes sense. Saying something like "this essay will show" makes it sound like the essay is a living, breathing entity that is doing the thinking for you, whereas "In this essay, I will show" makes it sound like YOU are doing the thinking.

Try removing "I" statements or "this essay will show x" statements altogether. For example, instead of saying "I am going to demonstrate that Moleskines are not the best notebooks on the market by comparing price, sustainability and paper quality," try something like "A thorough analysis of price, sustainability and paper quality reveals that Moleskines are not the best notebooks on the market."
Edit! Need I say more? Now that you know this is a problem, it should be something you look for when you are reading your essays over.

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